Hi, my name is Gaele, and my field of study is law. The glossary I created could be useful for people studying law, but it mainly focuses on the public because these terms are commonly used in court and are important to understand. Indeed, if someone is interested in attending a court hearing or is involved in a court case, knowing these terms can help them better understand what is being said and what is happening during the proceedings.
appeal
noun
An appeal is a legal process to ask a higher court to change a lower court's decision.
Example: The action of detention would also be considered just in the eyes of the law since the policies and procedures set down by the Mental Health Act will have been followed but it would also have to be proved that John was treated justly as a person - that he was fully informed of all of the facts about his detention and the consequences of being on a section as well as his right to APPEAL.
en: appel
bail
noun
Bail is a legal system that allows an arrested person to leave jail while they wait for their trial.
Example: The court has discretion also in relation to section 76: in Barry , the inducement of assisting with the suspect's request for BAIL resulted in exclusion of admissions under section 76(2)(b).
en: caution
civil law
noun
Civil law is a system of rules that settles private disputes between individuals, businesses, or organizations.
Example: Now, breach of the Codes can only lead to criminal or civil proceedings if they are also a breach of the criminal or CIVIL LAW.
en: droit civil
contract
noun
A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties that creates enforceable rights and obligations.
Example: I have looked through the standard CONTRACT.
en: contrat
criminal law
noun
Criminal law is a body of rules that defines crimes, sets punishments, and regulates how suspects are charged and tried.
Example: The above arguments, presented both in defence of and in opposition to the hypothesis that anti-social behaviour procedures undermine the CRIMINAL LAW, demonstrate a tension between the theory and the practice of CRIMINAL LAW.
en: droit pénal
defendant
noun
A defendant is a person, company, or institution accused of a crime or being sued in a court of law.
Example: The prosecution case will be reinforced where the police manage to disprove the DEFENDANT's claims and, in certain cases, counsel will be forced to advance a different defence at trial, thereby inviting inferences.
en: accusé
disclosure
noun
The legal duty to share evidence or documents with the other side before a trial.
Example: Following Imbert it initially appears that an adjournment may mitigate the consequences of non-DISCLOSURE, allowing time for the defence to respond to evidence brought to light during the trial.
en: divulgation
evidence
noun
Evidence means information, facts, or objects that show whether something is true or exists.
Example: They take this stand, as they explain, because although there is no EVIDENCE for an exchange of mtDNA, this does not rule out the possibility of the exchange of nuclear DNA (Ward & Stringer 1997).
en: preuve
judge
noun
A judge is a public official who has the authority to hear and decide cases in a court of law, or a person chosen to decide a winner in a contest.
Example: In reviewing of related literatures, JUDGE et al (2000) found mix support for Korman's theory and they suggested that the results were inconclusive.
en: juge
jurisdiction
noun
Jurisdiction is the official power or legal authority of a court, government body, or official organization to make decisions, enforce laws, and administer justice.
Example: However it is to be reminded that international criminal law is not solely concerned with the ICC JURISDICTION; it includes the domestic courts where prosecutions are established through the principle of complementarity and various principles of JURISDICTION such as universal JURISDICTION.
en: juridiction
jury
noun
A jury is a group of ordinary citizens chosen to listen to the facts of a legal case or judge a contest and make a final decision or verdict.
Example: The JURY's understanding of the law is the most important consideration when deciding whether law has achieved its desired effect and if the defendant is actually disadvantaged.
en: jury
lawsuit
noun
A lawsuit is a civil legal action brought by one party against another in a court of law to seek a remedy or resolve a private dispute.
Example: So, even if she had decided to engage in a LAWSUIT, the compensation could have been a pretty small amount which was insufficient to recover Mrs Donoghue's harm, her physical illness and mental impact.
en: plainte
lawyer
noun
A lawyer is a trained and licensed professional who gives legal advice, prepares legal documents, and represents clients in legal matters.
Example: There has been much commentary on this area, and it is generally accepted that a plea can only be based on an informed choice, where the defence LAWYER has received sufficient information to be able to properly advise the client.
en: avocat
liability
noun
Liability means the state of being legally responsible for something, or a financial debt and obligation owed to another party.
Example: Such actions would be seen as evidence in support of this defence, although would not necessarily absolve the defendant from LIABILITY.
en: responsabilité
parole
noun
Parole is the conditional release of a prisoner from custody before finishing their full sentence, allowing them to serve the remainder under supervision in the community.
Example: Prisoners were told if they wanted to leave the prison, they would have to go through a PAROLE hearing.
en: parole
probation
noun
Probation is a trial period or a court-ordered sentence that allows a person to remain free in the community under close supervision rather than serving time in jail or prison.
Example: This is illustrated by the creation of the PROBATION service which seeks to control young people considered troublesome (Muncie 1997:67) and bring them back to 'acceptability.'
en: probation
sentence
noun
In law, a sentence is a punishment given by a judge or court to a person found guilty of a crime.
Example: Fewer cases in the ICC do not mean a 'death SENTENCE' for international criminal law because the latter also includes national prosecutions and international criminal tribunals.
en: sentence
testimony
noun
Testimony is a formal written or spoken statement that says what someone knows or believes is true, usually given by a witness under oath in a court of law.
Example: He definition of a fact has been given a wide discretion, in Milford Potter LJ suggested that a fact is a "particular truth known by actual observation or authentic TESTIMONY, as opposed to what is merely inferred, or to a conjecture or to fiction.
en: témoignage
verdict
noun
A verdict is a formal decision or judgment made by a jury or judge at the end of a trial, or any final opinion reached after careful consideration.
Example: Participants were then randomly spilt into six member juries and asked to find a VERDICT.
en: verdict
witness
noun
A witness is a person who sees an event happen or gives official testimony in a court of law.
Example: A recent high profile example occurred in the Damilola Taylor case, during the cross-examination of the prosecution's leading WITNESS a 14-year old girl.
